Device for removing frictional caps from containers



Nov. 29, 1960 E. s. CHAPMAN 2,961,902

DEVICE FOR REMOVING FRICTIONAL CAPS FROM CONTAINERS File d Sept. 24, 1958 INVENTOR. EUGENE S. CHAPMAN BY MAW ATTORNEY United States Patent DEVICE FOR REMOVING FRICTIONAL CAPS FROM CONTAINERS Eugene S. Chapman, 110 Sherrin Ave., Louisville, Ky. Filed Sept. 24, 1958, Ser. No. 762,983

'5 Claims. (Cl. 81-346) This invention relates to devices for removing frictional caps from containers presenting a shoulder underlying the rim of the cap.

The Stewart Patent No. 2,570,881 proposes a frictional cap remover of the plier type wherein a pair of upper and lower members (each having a jaw at one end and a handle at the opposite end) are pivotally connected together for relative movement between a jaw closed position, in which their closed jaws extend in the same general direction and their handles diverge, and a jaw open position, in which their open jaws diverge. This cap remover is used by inserting the closed jaws between the cap rim and the underlying shoulder on the jar and closing the handles to spread the jaws and lift the cap. In using Stewarts cap remover, it is necessary to restrain the jar while operating the cap remover, for otherwise either the cap remover may slip from the jar before the cap is removed or the cap may be quickly released and flipped from the jar suddenly enough to cause the jar to overturn and possibly break. This operation is normally performed by holding the jar in one hand and the cap remover in the other hand.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved cap remover which substantially eliminates or minimizes the foregoing disadvantages.

Another important object is to provide a more compact cap remover which can be easily and quickly operated by one hand without otherwise holding the jar and without danger of flipping the cap or overturning the jar.

My invention is carried out and the foregoing objects achieved simply by bending a plier type cap remover so that its hnadles and jaws both point in the same general direction whereby the handles extend reentrantly over the cap of the jar when the jaws are in the cap removing position. In other words, each member of the cap remover is generally J-shaped, having a long handle, a relatively short jaw and an interposed bight, and both members are arranged in jaw-to-jaw and handle-to-handle relationship with one member nested within the other member, these members being pivotally connected together as before for relative movement between a jaw closed position, in which their handles diverge, and a jaw open or handle closed position, in which their jaws diverge.

With this arrangement, when the jaws are closed and placed in the cap removing position, the inner handle member extends over, and may rest on, the cap while the handle of the outer member also extends over the cap but diverges upwardly from the inner member. To remove the cap, it is only necessary to force the outer handle downwardly toward the inner handle member and the cap, an operation which may be readily performed with one hand. No force is present tending to separate the cap remover from the container being opened and, after the cap is released from the jar, the downward force on the hnadle members prevents the cap from flipping and prevents the jar from overturning or otherwise moving. 1

The invention is specifically described in connection Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the relationship of the jar, cap and jaws at the beginning of the cap removing operation.

The cap removing device illustrated comprises: an outer J-shaped member; an inner J-shaped member; and means pivotally connecting them together.

Outer member The outer J-shaped member 1 is composed of an elongate handle 2, a relatively short jaw 3 and an interposed bight 4 interconnecting the handle 2 and jaw 3 into a rigid unitary structure in which the handle, jaw and bight cooperate to form an acute angle wherein the handle 2 and jaw 3 diverge from each other in a direction proceeding away from the bight 4. The side margins of the handle 2 and the bight 4 are bent approximately degrees to extend inwardly, relatively to the outer J as a whole, and thereby form side marginal flanges 5 which not only strengthen the outer member 1 but also provide it with a channel on its inner side to receive the inner J-shaped member 11.

Inner member The inner J-shaped member 11 also includes an elongate handle 12, a relatively short jaw 13, and an interposed b-ight 14 interconnecting the handle 12 and the jaw 13 into a rigid unitary structure in which the handle, jaw and bight cooperate to form an acute angle which is smaller than the angle formed by the handle 2 and jaw 3. Preferably, the handle 12 and jaw 13 extend in spaced parallel relationship although they could, of course, di-- verge or, with bigger bights, even converge somewhat. The side margins of the handle 12 and the bight 14 are also bent approximately 90 degrees to extend outwardly relatively to the inner J as a whole, and thereby form marginal flanges 15 which strengthen the inner member 1;

Finally, the free end of the jaw 13 is turned toward the j handle 12 to form a hook 16.

In other words, the inner member 11 is substantially identical to the outer member 1 in all respects except these, viz: it is cross-sectionally smaller than the outer member so that it may nest in the channel of the outer;

member; it is reentrantly curved to a greater degree so that, when nested, its handle will diverge from the outer handle inthe jaw closed position while its jaw will diverge from the outer jaw in the handle closed position; its side margins are reversely bent relatively to the side margins of the outer member; and the free end of the inner jaw 13 is hooked.

Connecting means r 2,961,902, Patented Nov. 29, 19603 While this may be done in various ways, it preferably is done by forking one jaw and cutting away the side margins of the other jaw at points corresponding to the forks of the first mentioned jaw. Accordingly, the inner jaw 13 is bifurcated to provide a pair of spaced tines 13a while the outer jaw 3 is cut away along its side margins to provide a central tongue 3a. In the jaw closed position, the tines 13a extend along opposite side edges of the tongue 3a.

Operation My frictional cap removing device is primarily intended for use with containers of the type conventionally including: a jar 20. having an outer annular cap receiving bead 21 encircling its upper mouth end and an upwardly facing usually annular shoulder 22 spaced slightly below the bead; and a frictional cap or lid 23 having a depending rim 24 enclosing a rubber sealing ring 25 which is frictionally and firmly or snugly seated upon the jar head 21. Normally, the lower end of the rim is inwardly turned toward the jar to grip the sealing ring 25 securely. Normally also, the inwardly turned lower end of the rim 24 is not only spaced horizontally outward from that portion of the jar immediately below the bead 21 but also spaced vertically upward from the shoulder 22.

This space is herein designated as the prying space 30' because it is used by substantially all tools which eflect the removal of frictional caps by a prying operation.

In use the device is initially positioned with its closed jaws extending into the prying space 30 and with its open or diverging handles extending over the top of the lid or cap 23. In this position, the inner jaw extends adjacent the lower end of the cap rim 24 and the inner handle extends over and adjacent to the lid 23 while the outer jaw extends adjacent the jar shoulder 22 and the outer handle diverges upwardly over the lid 23.

To remove the cap, it is only necessary to press the outer handle 3 downwardly to move it from its upper diverging position downwardly into the handle closed position wherein it extends adjacent the inner handle. During this movement of the outer handle, the inner and outer jaws correspondingly move from their jaw closed to their jaw open positions.

As the jaws initially begin to open, the inner jaw moves upwardly into engagement with the lower end of the rim while the inner handle moves downwardly toward the cap. In the construction illustrated, the outer end of the inner handle engages the cap. Simultaneously with this initial upward movement of the inner jaw, the outer jaw moves downwardly until it strikes the jar shoulder 22, which prevents further downward movement on its part.

Thereafter, as the outer handle 2 continues to move downwardly toward the cap, the outer member 1, as a whole, moves angularly or rotationally about its contact with the shoulder 22, which now functions as a fixed pivot, and this motion levers the pivot pin 18 upwardly, since it is carried by the outer member and is on the ascending side of the fixed pivot. Since the outer end of the inner handle 12 engages the cap, the upward levering of the pivot pin 18 correspondingly levers the inner jaw upwardly causing it to pry the lid from its seat upon the jar. The hooks 13a of the inner jaws function to prevent the inner jaw from slipping out of engagement with the lower end of the rim of the cap.

As indicated by the arrow 31 in Fig. 5, the downward force exerted against the outer handle to effect the removal of the cap is directed toward the cap and the jar. As a result, it tends to force the jar downwardly directly against the jar supporting surface upon which it is resting in a manner which keeps that jar from tipping or skidding on the supporting surface when the removal of the cap is effected. It also keeps the cap itself from being flipped or otherwise forced away from the jar. As a consequence, the jar does not have to be restrained during the removal of its cap except bythe force which effects that removal. This enables the removal operation to be easily and quickly performed simply by holding the device in one hand with the top side of the top or outer lever 1 adjacent the palm of the hand, positioning the device with that hand and then pressing itdownwardly with the palm of that hand. The fingers of the same hand may, if desired, be conveniently used to hold the device and jar together until it is firmly gripped by the tool and to restrain all parts at the instant the cap is removed.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A tool for removing frictional caps from containers presenting a shoulder underlying the rim of the cap, comprising: an outer member and an inner member, each member having a handle, a jaw and a bight rigidly joining the handle and jaw into a J-shaped structure; said inner member being arranged in jaw-to-jaw and handle-to-handle relationship with said outer member on the inner side thereof; and means pivotally connecting said members together for relative movement between jaw closed and open positions.

2. The tool of claim 1 wherein: the inner member jaw and handle extend substantially parallel to each other; and the outer member jaw and handle diverge relatively to each other.

3. The tool of claim 1 wherein: the free end portion of one of said jaws is forked to provide it with spaced tines; and a free end portion of said other jaw extends between said spaced tines in the jaw closed position.

4. The tool of claim 1 wherein: the free end portion of the inner member jaw includes a hook extending toward its handle and adapted for tool latching engagement with the rim of a container cap during the cap removing operation.

5. The tool of claim 1 wherein the bight of the outer member is flanged inwardly; the bight of the inner member is flanged outwardly; and the pivotal connecting means includes a pin extending transversely through the bight flanges of both members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,728,418 Litchfield Sept. 17, 1929 FOREIGN PATENTS 274,662 Italy May 28, 1930 801,761 Germany Jan. 22, 1951 834,514 Germany Mar. 20, 1952 

